


embers of life

by puglover



Category: DreamWorks Dragons (Cartoon), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2018-12-27 04:28:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12073533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puglover/pseuds/puglover
Summary: Tuffnut wakes up.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tuffnut wakes up.

Tuffnut was flying, he could feel the wind in his hair. The tips of his fingers tingling from the cold and altitude. There was a bright red glow ahead and above. He was pretty sure that was the glow of dragon fire. He had turned his head to say something both witty and helpful to Ruff when he felt a shove and sudden lurch to the side. Before he could realize what was happening he was falling through the air. 

The figure of his sister and their dragon ever shrinking into the blue-red sky. He could feel himself plummeting. And see from the corner of his eye the rapidly decreasing distance between him and the dark ocean below. Hitting the water was like taking a gronckle to the chest and a thousand small icy needles stabbing into him at the same time. All the air rushed out of his body. Every sound and color instantly muffled. Then he felt warm calloused hands touching his should. Grabbing first the right and then the left. He realizes he'd closed his eyes when he hit the water. That's probably Ruff dragging him out of the sea. All he has to do is open his eyes and see his sister and dragon. They'll ride off into that strange glowing red cloud and make glorious battle. 

 

But when Tuffnut opens his eyes it isn't to his sisters orbs, a sky of red, and to Barf & Belch hissing and clicking. He is alone, in the pitch dark. Dead silence ringing in his ears. Except it isn't silent. There is a high wheezing noise close by. The longer he stares into the dark. Hints of moonlight start to creep in. Shades of gray and blue outline a figure, standing over Tuffnut touching him. He realizes the warm hands on his shoulders aren't his sister's. They belong to this dark figure. Tuffnut starts to tense up, readying himself to rush the figure. He must have been captured, he's not sure by who. He cant remember who they were fighting. But the voice that comes out of the gloom isn't foe but friend.

"Tuffnut, its ok. Your ok. Its Throk, please lay down. Your hurting yourself." The figure speaks.  
Tuffnut is surprised to hear throk 

"what happened?" Tuffnut tried to focus on Throk through the gloom and bone white glow of the moon. He seemed pale with dark smudges under his eyes. Throk lets out a long breath. Removes his hands from Tuffnut's shoulders and slowly sits down on the bed facing him.

"There was a battle, you were hurt " Something in Throk's lilting voice suggests it was more then that. "and? Come on Throk-man. I've been in plenty of battles. I haven't ..." The rest of Tuffnut's words are swallowed up by hacking coughs. His throat seizing shut just as he begins to feel a sharp pain in his ribs

Throk just scoots forward to put a supporting hand on him. One on Tuffnut's back and the other under his ribs on the right side. Eventually the coughing stops. Tuffnut realizes the wheezing is coming from him. As it resumes again with his regular breathing pattern. Tuffnut looks up into Throk's eyes from were he'd been partially curled into himself. "Thanks, but that should go to show. I haven't ever blacked out during a battle and woken woken up like this" Tuffnut says gesturing to his body.

"Whats going on? Wheres Ruff? Where are the other riders? And why do you look like someone died?" At this something hardens in Throk's eyes turning them to flint. 

"Tuffnut you must rest, you were injured greatly in the battle. It hasn't been many days since you were brought here. Rest now and in the morning I will explain everything " 

 

At that Tuffnut pulls back from the warm hands supporting his back and side. "What? No, I'm not going to rest. Apparently I've been unconscious for a "not many" amount of days. And the last thing I remember is flying into a glowing red cloud and falling off my dragon, I think? Or was that a dream?" 

Tuffnut is wheezing harder again staring at Throks unmoving face. Then he realizes what he just said "... wait a minute, did i fall off my dragon?" He mumbles confused. 

"Yes Tuffnut you fell off your dragon and into the sea. You were badly injured when the riders brought you here. Please you must rest and in the ..."  
"Wheres Ruffnut?"  
"What?"  
"If I was brought here by the riders. They have to be here right? Where are they? They wouldn't leave a fallen comrade behind, well maybe Snotlout? I'd leave him behind" 

At this Throk hesitates to answer "Tuffnut the other riders are not here." Sensing weakness Tuffnut pushes on "But they wouldn't leave me here without a good reason, so they're still fighting? Where'd they go? Wheres Ruff? We have to go join them." 

At this Tuffnut begins trying to get out of bed. Again Throk grabs him by the shoulders more firmly. "Tuffnut they are not here. None of the riders are here on the island with us except you" 

There's something in Throk's voice now. A crack "What do you mean no ones here? Even if the others went to fight Ruff wouldn't leave me. She cant fly Barf & Belch without me. Shes a terrible flier, you know. Where is she?" 

At this Throk seems to steel himself "She is no longer with us."  
"yeah I got that part about no rider on the island, Throk-man but where is she? Wheres she gone?" 

Throk takes what appears to be a steadying breath "I'm afraid somewhere you can not follow" "What Switzerland?"  
"No Tuffnut I am sad to say your sister is longer with us" 

 

Throk had lighten up alot since their first meeting. Where he had held the Riders at sword point. But this was not his style. Ruff must have recruited him for this. 

"What is this? A little opportune payback from my sister? Really Throk-man I thought better of you. That you would let her rope you into this after what happened the last time?" 

"This is not a joke Tuffnut, your sister fell in battle beside your dragon" Throk did not look amused. But neither was Tuffnut. His ribs hurt, his throat hurt. Hell even his face hurt. He was not in the mood for this game. 

"Listen Throk-man I know you love her but have pity. I'm all bang up and bruise to Valhalla and back. Just tell me where she is so I can limp on over and head out to help our friends. I'm sure Hiccup has probably already tried to make friends with whatever mystery dragon made that red cloud and failed. So now he's going to be trying to not be eaten by it, do you really want to be responsible for Hiccup being eaten? I mean Snotlout maybe? But not Hiccup, I know you like him." 

Throk remained stoic as ever. But breathed out a sigh before he saids. "I can see you are still is shock from what has happened and not ready. But what I am trying to tell you is the truth. Your sister is dead. She fell in battle riding your Barf & Belch." 

Throk loses some of his stoicism as he tells Tuffnut "From what the other Riders told me there was a great red glowing cloud. They believe it hides a dragon. It was heading towards youroutpost. You and Ruffnut were the first to reach it. But before you made contact with it. Large columns of fire burst forth. Even we here on Defender of the Wing Island could see them shooting across the sky. Hiccup says it seemed almost like a shellfire but in the sky." 

Here Throk pauses. Tuffnut doesn't know what to think this is the most he's ever heard Throk speak. And he's still pretty sure this is all a elaborate tale. Except that some of this rings true to his dream, memory? 

"I am not sure of the exact circumstances only that the Riders were flying behind you and Ruffnut when they saw you fall off your dragon and Ruffnut fly into the cloud. Not even Toothless was fast enough to catch you. By the time they had fished you out of the water. Ruffnut and Barf & Blech had fallen out of the cloud. No longer in this world. The Riders decided to fly you all to our island for treatment. We helped you the best we could. The others wanted to stay with you but could not. The cloud is still moving it is heading toward Berk. The outpost is destroyed. We have your sister and dragon here. We weren't sure what needed to be done. We have tried to preserve them as best we could"

Here Throk pauses to take a breath. Then reaches for Tuffnut's hand "Im so sorry for your lose, we tried everything. They were gone before the Riders touched down on the island" 

"I want to see them"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the horrendous grammar. If anyone wants to beta let me know.


	2. Chapter 2

"I want to see them"  
Tuffnut's throat feels like he's swallowed glass. He moves to stand up. "Where are their bodies?"

Throk makes a gesture like trying to come forward to help support Tuffnut. But Tuffnut just pushes passed him hurtling himself off the bed.

The moment he is on his feet, his legs give out send a sharp jolt through him. The floor rushes up to meet him. Tuffnut feels strong arms halt his decent before he can impact with the floor. "I'm not sure. You've just woken up." Throk whispers in his ear.

"Rest now and in the morning we will go together."

Tuffnut feels a sudden surge of anger grow from his belly and spread out to his limbs. He pushes himself out of Throk's hands and drags himself back on the bad to sit.

"No. You're telling me my sister and dragon are dead. I have to see this to believe it." Truff's mad now, his mind giving him an idea to latch onto. This must be a joke. Some elaborate prank Ruffnut has come up with. Stupid Throk and stupid sister telling stories. Taking the opportunity of him getting hurt to get him back for faking his own death before. Truffnut starts to stand again "where are their bodies?"

Throk says nothing, just moves to help him. Together with Throk supporting him. They make their way to a smaller building next to the healing hut. Truffnut is weaker than he thought barely able to make the trek to the building.

It is a building Tuffnut never noticed before. But he must have passed by it when he visited the village. Everything looks different in the blue light of the moon. It must be where the Defenders of the Wing take their dead. A store house to prepare bodies for the afterlife. He cant help but snicker painfully. Thinking of his sister going through all this trouble just to trick him. Hiding out in a cold dark building filled with dead bodies. she'll probably hit him for making her wait out there so long. Throk shoots him a concerned look. Probably thinking Tuffnut is cracking in the face of his sister's "death" .

But Tuffnut doesn't care. Throk is the one going along with Ruffnut's prank. He seems to really be trying to sell this whole dead sister thing.  
Tuffnut never new he was such a good actor. Throk is usually all stoic and grouchy and grumbley. But now the lines of his face seem to soften with sadness. He looks young in the moon light.

They come up to the entrance of the storehouse. The heavy doors don't make a sound as Throk pushes them open. Prehaps a testament to how often they have been used in these last few years. Inside the warm light of torches lit with dragon fire casts a orange red glow on everything.

The first thing to cross his mind is how did Ruff manage to get Barf & Blech to lay so still. Even when their dragon passes out after a long flight or battle they're always moving. Always a tail twitch or a jaw snap. Always one head or the other rolling around or drooling. For them to lay there so perfectly still. Ruff must have drugged them with dragon nip or stuffed them full of a truly massive amount of sage fruit.

Then he sees her laying besides them. Her helm nowhere in sight. There are scorch marks up and down her arms. Patches of red blisters around her mouth and nose. Vaguely he registers the fact that she is in different clothes. Dark colored Defender of the wing grab by the look. The clothe's pristine creases in contrast with her hair. A snagging knotted mess, unbraided. It looks like someone tried to wash blood and soot from it. But failed miserably not knowing ruffs secret techniques and the fact that she uses quite a liberal amount of fish oil to tame her locks.

She is pale. Paler than hes ever seen her. There is no glow of life in her. Just the ashen color of death. Tuffnut feels himself start to walk toward her. Even though his body can't make it on its own. In a distant part of his mind he feels the pain of his broken foot. The bones grinding together and he forces them to bare his weight.

The longer he stares at her, the more ice slowly starts to spread through his body. He can't feel his legs any more. He is pretty sure he is going to fall face first into the dirt again. As his legs give out Throk manages to slow his decent. Helping him gently to his knees. Just a few feet from their bodies. He tries to stand again. To move forward to grab ruff by the shoulders. To shake her until she opens her eyes and sits up laughing at how stupid he is for believing shed ever leave him. But he cant find the strength.  
He knows in his chest now the truth he'd been trying to push down since the moment he woke from that dream.  
His sister is no longer with him. Instead he walks on his knees over to Barf & Blech.

Who on second look are just as banged up. scorch marks running down the length of their bodies and red blisters near their eyes and mouth. He reaches to pet their head, Blechs head. But as he draws near he is filled with dread. The air around the is as dead and still as they are. Their skin is probably ice cold. The usual wave of heat that rises off all dragons is gone.

Before he can make contact he pulls his hand back. These are not his dragon, the cold flesh laying beside it is not his sister. They are just empty vessels, it cant be real.

Cold and lifeless. They will never be warm again. He will never feel his sister's fist punch his chest again or Barf & Blech headbutt him. He will never nap on the landing stripe in the warm shade of their dragon with his sister again. Then it hits him, what Throk said.

Dragon Edge is destroyed.

Nothing left. He comes back to himself with a start. Only to feel wetness on his face and realize he's been rocking in place a keening. A warm hand comes up to pull him side ways into an even warmer chest. Throk doesn't say anything. 

Truffnut absently thinks Throk is getting good at this. Its the second time he has had to comfort a Thorston at the death of their twin. 

But this time. The dead twin won't miraculously jump out from behind a bush.

Tuffnut stares at Ruff's body laying out before him. the red orange glow of the dragon fire torches painting her in swirling patterns. All the year they've spent together and this is how he will always remember her. he knows every time he closes his eyes and thinks of them flying together. He will always see this super imposed. Her laying there still and silent in death as she never was in life. 

For the first in his life he feels truly alone.


End file.
